


Rei's Aquatic Dictionary

by Nowaki



Category: Free!
Genre: Learning to Swim, M/M, Rating may go up, Rei keeps a journal, all of the words, and learning the words, mostly Rei and Nagisa though, other ships if you squint, reigisa - Freeform, seriously
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-06-04 06:57:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6646801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nowaki/pseuds/Nowaki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rei agreed to join the swim team, he knew he would need to do research. In his notebook, he keeps a "dictionary" where he writes the new words he's learning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Words A - D

**Author's Note:**

> Terms stolen from the uber helpful:  
> http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1703  
> Note: these are terms used in the US. I'm not sure all of these carry over and I honestly wouldn't know where to begin researching the proper Japanese terms. So my apologizes if there's anything incorrect!
> 
> Also the time line here is kinda sketchy but if you've seen the show, you'll get it.

**Alternate**  
Noun. When a finalist is decided, the second fastest swimmer becomes the alternate. The third fastest is the second alternate and so on.  
At times, it feels as though I was the alternate chosen for Rin. The hole I filled by joining the team was one that he craved out. Not only did he abandon them, he returned years later to etch scars into their fond memories. It would be easy to hate him for all that he's said and done but they don't.  
My idiot teammates, and I mean idiot in the fondest way, love this asshole. If they had the choice, I'm sure they'd pick him to be on the team.

"Rin's exercise plan?" Nagisa asked, eyes shining as he tore the paper from Gou's hands. "With this, we'll be fit in no time!"  
"I don't need exercises to help me swim. I get everything I need from the water." Haru brushed them off as he headed toward the pool. Moments later his clothes were scattered and he was already underwater.  
"Haru!" Makoto complained, "we could really use this! If Rin thought it was helpful than it must be good!"  
Rin was practically a myth. Rei hadn't truly met him. Although they were both at the joint practices, Rin was never interested in speaking to the Iwatobi team.  
According to how they all spoke of him, Rin was a swim god like Haru but they were polar opposites. Haru had raw talent whereas Rin honed his skills with strict training and discipline. Haru didn't speak much in their youth however, back then Rin was a social butterfly. Haru only swam free, Rin mastered butterfly and freestyle. He could probably swim everything and look good.  
"Rei, can you show me how to do these?" Nagisa asked, ignoring the others' shenanigans. "You probably know all of these exercises."  
Rei nodded and scanned the sheet until he came to the end where Rin had scratched out his personal favorite.  
"Burpees*!" He cheered pushing his glasses up. "Why would he take those off? They work so many areas."  
"What's a bur-bee?" The blond asked, confused.  
"The burpee is like a mix of a push up and a jumping jack." Rei explained dropping onto his hands and setting his glasses aside. "You do your push up and then bring your legs back up, jump or do a jumping jack, and then it's right back down."  
He demonstrated slowly but steadily. Nagisa joined him but only managed a third one before dropping to the ground.  
"These are the worst!" He complained.  
"I don't think you understand just how beneficial they are." He replied calmly. "Rin has probably changed his mind about them."  
"Rei-chan must have great stamina." The blond announced. Gou bit her lip and blushed. More evidence to Rei's theory that she "shipped" some of the team members.  
"Let's move on. How are you with squats?"  
Gou practically swooned.

 

 **Anchor**  
Noun or Verb. This can mean either the last swimmer in a relay or it can mean the beginning of each strok.  
In a way, everyone on the team is an anchor in the traditional sense. Haru is who inspires us, keeps us all swimming. He's beautiful in the water. Makoto keeps us all together and keeps Haru in check. He's the captain after all. He doesn't rule  
with an iron fist but he's still the first person you go to with a problem. Gou, our manager, makes sure we improve and stay in shape. Without her, we wouldn't have a training regime.  
Nagisa is different. He is the spirit of our team and if he weren't a member, I could almost imagine him as a cheerleader type. He anchored himself to me and dragged me onto the swim team in the first place. My little anchor.  
Everyone is an anchor on our team's ship, keeping it steady in rough waters. Everyone except the talentless nerd they picked up out of necessity.  
Everyone is an anchor except me.

"It's all thanks to Rei-Chan~!" Nagisa singsonged one day in the locker room.  
"Me?" He asked, confused.  
"We couldn't have a team without you! It was meant to be!"  
"I can barely swim." Rei sighed, dropping into the bench. He risked a glance at the other two members of their team. Haru had already changed into dry clothes and was on his way out the door, he bathed at home according to the other two. Makoto had stopped him in order to discuss something but the other's mind was clearly elsewhere.  
Nagisa still had a towel around his slender hips. He was giving his hair the standard "one hundred brush strokes" in order to help it grow. Rei was about ninety-nine percent sure that the blond's "evil" older sisters had made that tradition up and were likely still laughing at their brother for believing it.  
"You have a girly name." Nagisa told him earnestly. "You're meant to be with us."  
"How does my name have anything to do with what club I belong to?" Rei sighed. "There might be great swimmers in our school with normal names and any of them would have been a better-"  
"If you had a normal boy name, I would have left you alone the first time you said no." The blond said with a half smile. "If you weren't named Rei, I might have never gotten to know you."  
For once, he wasn't upset that his name had gotten him extra attention. 

 

 **Backstroke**  
Verb. A type of stroke done on one's back. It is the first style in a relay.  
Example: this is what Makoto does. He attempted to teach me when I first joined the team.

"Here, I'll take your hands and pull you while you practice kicking your legs." Makoto told him. He was very patient with his instruction and Rei found him to be his favorite teacher of the group. Makoto was also the easiest to talk to. Haru was in his own world more often than not and almost anything could trigger a fit from Gou. Nagisa was was the friendliest of the group but Rei wasn't confidant in his ability to read him yet.  
Rei was completely out of his element when it came to his new club in general.  
He still wasn't good at staying afloat while swimming and often wondered how the 99% muscle, puppy-eyed Adonis Makoto managed it. He looked like he'd been carved out of stone, it was a miracle he didn't sink.  
It wasn't that he was the only one on the team with any muscle, but Makoto was by far the most impressive. Rei wished he could chalk it up to more exercise and weight lifting but he was pretty sure that Makoto didn't do any of that more than once or twice a week. It was probably genetics.  
"You're getting really good at this!" He said, with an easy smile. "I'm going to let go and we'll see if you can keep going!"  
He released Rei's hands and continued moving backwards, watching Rei like a hawk as he slowly but surely began his decent.  
"It's okay if you can't master the backstroke," Makoto said when Rei surfaced a minute later. "You just gotta find the style that fits you the best and stick with it."  
If only it were that easy.

 

 **Block**  
Noun. The starting platform. Nagisa will often sit on this before practice starts. He watches me do warm-ups while Haru soaks nearby. Makoto and Gou talk about the team, Nagisa could talk to them but instead he just gives me this shameless look.  
The staring should bother me. None on the track team were as forward as Nagisa. Eyes hardly strayed and when they did the perpetrator's smile was rueful if anything.  
People have looked at me before, but never the way that Nagisa does before practice. When his eyes meet mine, they aren't hungry, they're starved. They seem to say that were I an ocean, he could drink me up and still complain of thirst.  
I try to ignore how it flusters my heart but it isn't confined to the starting block. He may not look at me that way when we're in class but his personality has a similar effect.

"Rei-chan~!"  
No one in the classroom bothered a second glance when Nagisa sat down on Rei's desk after bursting into the classroom after lunch.  
"I was trying to finish reading the next section." He complained, meeting the other's gaze.  
"You wanna do a little one on one after practice? Makoto said he'd let me borrow the key for the locker room so we can stay as long as you like."  
"I wish I could but it's my turn to make dinner tonight." Rei forced himself to smile. He really did wish he could spend an extra hour with Nagisa but his mother was counting on him to have something on the table when she got home from work. He hated having to tell her to get something on her way home when she already worked a long shift.  
"Rei-chan can cook?" Nagisa's eyes lit up.  
"Only simple things. Tonight, I'm making gyudon."  
"That sounds good! You should make something sweet as well! Or maybe we could get ice cream. I think I remember a good place on the way to your house..."  
"I don't know if I have time to stop and eat ice cream with you."  
"That's okay." Nagisa replied easily, "can you make mochi?"  
"Yes but-"  
"That's perfect then! Gyudon and mochi ice cream! They have ice creams at the convince store so I'll buy it while you cook dinner."  
"Wait a minute, you're coming home with me?"  
Nagisa pouted, "don't you like me, Rei-chan?"  
"Y-yes, of c-course," he stuttered.  
"Then there's no problem! Wait 'til I tell Makoto and Haru-chan! They'll be so jealous!"  
It was a miracle that dinner turned out to be eatable. Nagisa wasn't just zero help, it was more like he'd had a negative contribution considering he kept distracting Rei from cooking. It wasn't entirely his fault though. He could distract Rei from a book of equations just by being in the same room. If he were being honest with himself, a mere picture Nagisa could distract him from reading.  
Rei's mother was pleasantly surprised that they had a guest. Her eyes danced as he introduced them.  
She gave him a knowing smile that night as he showed Nagisa were they kept the spare futon. Rei couldn't bring himself to be embarrassed.

 

 **Breaststroke**  
Verb. Example: this is the stroke Nagisa uses. His stroke was a little easier for me to practice but only because of the kick board. He doesn't take my hands like Makoto but he's still touchy-feely. Sometimes at school, he latches onto me like a barnacle.  
It should bother me but Nagisa is like that with everyone. He hugs Haru every chance he gets. Makoto he didn't hug as much but they almost have a "skinship" type thing happening. They're fine touching each other, but it's not super affectionate. It's probably normal to touch people on your team, after all we spend a lot of time in various states of undress together.  
Still, the lingering touches sometimes make me wonder about what could be and how I would feel about that. Before Nagisa, I had a simple plan: go to college, get a job, find a wife and have a family. Before him, I wouldn't even consider something as troublesome as dating at this stage in my life.  
Nagisa is inimitable. He's incredibly annoying and overwhelmingly charming at the same time.

"Hazuki-san," Rei sighed as he organized his thoughts for the lecture he was about to give. Nagisa interrupted his train of thought by splash him."  
"We're a team! Stop being so formal!" He complained.  
"You're too familiar." Rei shot back, but there was no venom. Nagisa responded by hitting him with another wave.  
"If you're going to goof off, at least have the decency not to splash us. If one of you ruins my new sun dress..." Miho didn't need to finish the threat.  
"Why don't you chicken fight or something?" Gou suggested, "that way we can tan in peace."  
"Chicken fight?"  
After a brief explanation from Gou about how Rin learned the game at the swimming school he went to and the basic rules, Nagisa was attempting to climb onto Rei's shoulders.  
"That game sounds stupidly dangerous." Rei pointed out however the argument was futile with Makoto and Haru already staring them down.  
"You just gotta dunk underwater and let Nagisa hop on, Rei!" Makoto explained, "it's really easy."  
"I don't want to play."  
"Makoto said that I had to play. If I have to play, you have to play." Haru complained.  
"Don't let him push you off just so you can get in the water." Makoto teased. Haru frowned, as if that had been his plan all along, but agreed not to "let him win."  
"Please, Rei-chan?" Nagisa begged.  
He groaned before he submerged himself in the water, just to remind them that he wasn't happy about having to play. He almost changed his mind the moment soft legs slide over his shoulders. Once he'd come back up however, he realized how troublesome it was going to be.  
There was no doubt in his mind that they had a good chance. Nagisa wasn't heavy and he had surprisingly good balance even with Haru attempting to overthrow him. They were doing fine, but there was still a problem that Rei had.  
His head was between Nagisa's legs. He couldn't focus and at one point walked straight into Makoto. It almost unseated Haru but the collision didn't help them either. Nagisa wasn't making it any easier. He would frequently clench his thighs in order to stay on. It didn't hurt but it was very distracting. The sudden jerk triggered a nerve that ran straight down to just below his waistband. Having the shorter boy occasionally grab ahold of his hair wouldn't be an issue on its own but combined with the thighs and the fantasy of Nagisa wearing one of his more revealing swimsuits was making him regret even joining the team.  
That type of thing shouldn't send a shiver down his spine. He couldn't deny he found Nagisa attractive but that didn't mean he was interested in him romantically. Rei tried to rationalize but his thoughts were clouded and every time he though he found the path, Nagisa squealed or clung to him and Rei was yanked back off course.  
Haru and Nagisa both ended up in the water a number of times. The loser would get back up and the game continued until finally Haru managed to throw both Rei and Nagisa while simultaneously dunking Makoto. He declared himself the winner, as if that were the end goal, and floated away.  
Nagisa swore to Rei they'd have their revenge on their walk to the station. He was determined to get both Haru and Makoto, but promised not to dunk Rei because he'd need him to run the victory lap around the pool while he rode on his shoulders. It painted a ridiculous picture in his mind but he let Nagisa plot all the way home.  
He didn't question it when Nagisa passed his house in favor of following him. The blond knew where the spare futon was.

 

 **Butterfly (stroke)**  
Verb. Example: this is the next to last stroke in a relay and the only one that no one on the team practices, making it Rin's style.  
It came to me easily even with no one there to instruct it. Haru told me to stop thinking, just dive in. No one was more surprised than I when it actually worked.

Rei knew he could not compare to Rin. Even if Nagisa kept whispering about relays, there was still work to do. He was a long way from being worthy of joining them in a competition.  
"I only swim free." Haru reminded them all when Nagisa insisted they practice their timing. The blond merely blinked at him, as if waiting for him to add something. Very quietly the other muttered, "and relay."  
Makoto and Nagisa exchanged high-fives before turning to Rei. Apparently that was Haru's way of giving them permission to enter the event.  
"I- okay." He said, smiling.  
Nagisa launched himself at Rei who just barely caught him. He looped his arms around Rei's neck and whispered into his ear, "I'm proud of you."  
He shivered. Haru was still in the pool and Makoto had abandoned him in his time of need. He was on his own when Nagisa sprung his next move and nuzzled his shoulder.  
"Oi, Nagisa? You're getting heavy." It wasn't a complete lie.  
The blond huffed but slid down to his feet a second later.  
"We should celebrate!" He cheered, "let's get crepes!"

 

 **Championship Meet**  
Noun. The meet at the end of the session where the best of the best compete.  
We have a long way to go before we see ourselves at one. I doubt I will ever qualify to attend, even as part of a medley team. Nagisa and Makoto, they still have hope. They're both great at their respective strokes. I would bet money that Haru could place at a championship meet but he doesn't have the drive. He doesn't care about times and only gets competitive if Rin's involved.  
On the other hand, if the older Matsuoka challenged him to meet him at the championship... Haru would be there. The redhead knows exactly how to rile him up.

Rei couldn't explain how happy it made him when Haru said he wanted to swim with all of them. He hadn't truly felt like one of them until that night. Rei knew the minute he heard Haru say those words, that this was a night he would never forget. So when it was finally decided that they could each name one fish that Haru caught, he knew exactly what to choose.  
"Saba." Haru said, simply pointing at one of the fish. They laughed at how typical Haru that was.  
"Kuro." Makoto decided after a moment.  
"You're going to name him after the color?"  
He nodded, "it will be easy to remember because he is the only black fish."  
"Since none of you want to name them after us, I'm going name the bright one after Rei-chan!" Nagisa decided. "He will be called Rei-nbow."  
"Katsu," Rei said, "because even if we don't win, I consider being able to swim with you all a victory."  
After they split up for the evening, Rei let Nagisa drag him around by the sleeve. He was nervous at first but no one paid them any attention. Everyone was too busy living their own lives to notice. Also, Rei realized, they probably looked like any other young couple. When he took Nagisa's hand, it was with confidence that no would care to look hard enough to realize they were both male.  
"Rei-chan?" Nagisa asked, arching one of his slender eyebrows.  
"I'm sorry." He tried to let go but Nagisa tightened his hold.  
"Don't be."  
That night, they danced under the stars on their way to the station. It was an unspoken decision that they were headed to Rei's house.  
"I'm cold." Nagisa told him, sliding into his bed instead of retrieving the futon.  
Rei woke up the next morning with the most beautiful person he'd even met in his arms.  
Victory. What a fitting name for their shared goldfish.

 

 **Deck**  
Noun. The area around the pool. Only swimmers, coaches and officials are allowed on the deck during a meet. During our relay we were all on the deck, able to cheer each other on. The prefectural torment was amazing and I couldn't wait to do it all over, to hear my friends screaming my name even though it was more likely that my mind was supplying the cheers as opposed to me actually being able to hear it.

"We should get some rest." Rei said, arm stung around Nagisa, their noses almost touching.  
"Can't." He replied with a yawn that told Rei was sleepier than was letting on.  
"I'm nervous about tomorrow too but if we stay up too late, we won't do well in the relay."  
They were both silent for a short while. He was starting to think that Nagisa had finally fallen asleep when he asked, "Hey, Rei, do you think we'll be here next year?"  
"I'm sure we will."  
"We'll do more than just the relay!" Nagisa said ambitiously.  
"Yeah," Rei agreed. "I'll be able to swim everything."  
"We'll have a couple first years with us, fetching us towels and water bottles."  
"They'll make signs for us when we get to nationals."  
They imagined what next year would bring until they eventually fell asleep. 

 

 **Distance**  
Noun. How far one swims. Usually this is for a specific race.  
Example: the 50 meter breaststroke, the 100 meter backstroke, the 200 or 400 meter relay.  
No matter how many kilometers Rin ran from Iwatobi, he could never distance himself from his old friends. No matter what, they were fiercely loyal to him. I'd always known that he was the one they really wanted to swim with.  
So when we found out Rin had been kicked off his team, stepping down seemed like the obvious solution. I watched Makoto kick off from the stands. I watched them all embrace at the end and forced myself to smile.

"It was beautiful." Rei told them later. It wasn't a lie and he was honestly happy that they'll all reconciled, but in a way that made it all worse. At the end of the day, Rei couldn't hate Rin either.  
Haru and Rin had managed to bridge the gap that kept them apart and discovered it wasn't as deep as they'd both feared. Communication still wasn't their strong point, but at least they recognized that.  
They won the Regional's medley however, that didn't mean Iwatobi would continue to the National level.

 

 **Disqualified**  
Verb. To be forced out of the competition because of a rule infraction. Iwatobi was disqualified when they swapped me out for Rin.  
"'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.' Alfred Lord Tennyson." Miho told us. I didn't feel the love at the time but it was alright. It seemed that everything we had gone through had brought us to that moment when Rin dived into the water. I could accept that fate meant for Rin to race with them, to finish out what they'd started years ago.  
I accepted it but that doesn't mean it didn't sting.

"Hey, Rei, you aren't upset right?" Nagisa asked when they were finally alone.  
"Honestly? A little bit." He answered. Nagisa's eyes looked about to water but Rei took his hand. "I'm a little sore but I know there's always next year."  
The blond broke into a smile and Rei knew that everything would be fine. The plans they'd made would surely come true and he would be happy, so long as Nagisa was by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * when I was in the 'corps I only knew of one guy who actually enjoyed doing burpees so I think it's safe to say that 99% of the general population despises them. I know I do.  
> Also I didn't mark it because I figured everyone would be able to tell but just in case you're wondering: Katsu is a name meaning victory.


	2. E - I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took forever to finish writing. On the bright side, we have a fabulous Rin cameo when he is a good senpai.

**Event**  
Noun. A race or stroke over a certain distance. There are specific events for each stroke, such as the 100 meter backstroke, and then there are the relays. The relay was our main event, the one we practiced for. It was special.

Rei practiced in the mirror for roughly thirty minutes until he realized that he would miss the train if he wasn't out the door soon. Missing the train would make everything pointless. The event he was practicing for was slotted in just before said train arrived. In missing his ride to school, his opportunity would be crushed like a delicate butterfly.  
He sprinted to the station, for once not even concerned about the possibly of missing class.  
"I was worried that Rei-chan might be sick this morning!" Nagisa said, waving from their usual bench. "If you didn't get here before the train, I was going to go looking for you."  
"And skip school?" He asked, breathing heavily.  
"Rei-chan is more important."  
"You just don't want to sit through math." Rei teased. This wasn't going according to plan at all.  
"Rei-chan!" Nagisa giggled.  
"Hey, Nagisa, I-"  
The train pulled up and Rei bit his tongue. It could wait.

"I wonder where Haru and Makoto are?" Nagisa asked as they sat in their usual spot on the roof.  
"Hey, Nagisa, I-"  
The door to the roof suddenly burst open. "Have you seen Haru?!" Makoto panted, clenching his chest.  
They shook their heads.  
"He disappeared before I could stop him! I told him that we couldn't swim at lunch! He's probably stripping as we speak!" He yelled before turning around and rushing back down the stairs.  
Nagisa set his lunch aside and stood up.  
"Wait!"  
He sat back down, a confused expression on his face.  
"Nagisa, I have something important I'd like to tell you. I'm sure Makoto-senpai can handle this by himself. He is the captain after all."  
"Okay, well what is it?"  
"I like you."  
"I like you too, Rei-chan."  
"I know but I mean I like you a lot." He said, resisting the urge to break eye contact. He was afraid of seeing rejection in Nagisa's eyes.  
"Are you confessing?" He asked, face brightening.  
"Yes."  
"It's about time!" The blond complained, launching himself into his lap.

 

 **False Start**  
Verb. When a swimmer leaves the starting block before the horn. These almost always result in a disqualification, although according to the rule book I downloaded there have been exceptions made. We practiced a lot to make sure we were all in sync for the relay. We wanted our timing to be prefect.

"False start." Nagisa teased, making Rei blush. Fortunately, he wasn't there to see it.  
"That's hardly my fault." He complained, wishing he could see Nagisa's face. He was probably smirking, the little devil. He'd done the same thing before he left Rei's house hours ago. His mother had come home early and almost walked in on them making out. As soon as she had her back turned, Nagisa was making that expression.  
"Mmm, Rei-Chan, you should send me a picture." The sounds in the background had all but stopped. Forcing yourself to hold back should be considered cheating, Rei decided as he awkwardly snapped a picture and hit send. His photos were never as good as Nagisa's. The blonde somehow managed to shoot everything with a front facing camera. Rei didn't even want to think about the types of positions he would need to maneuver into to take such pictures.  
"You made such a mess of yourself." The slapping sounds started back up.  
"And whose fault is that?" Rei asked. "Let me remind you that you called me for Chemistry notes and then proceeded to start... whatever this is!"  
"Because your voice is so deep." Nagisa whined. "I couldn't concentrate." Nagisa always had terrible timing. It was no wonder they'd only made out a handful of times despite the number of months since he'd confessed.  
His notes were ruined.  
The sound Nagisa made was enough to make Rei completely forget about the state of his papers until he found himself without them the next day. He couldn't bring himself to regret it.

 

 **Finals _(Championship, Consolation, Timed)_ **  
Noun. The final race of an event. Championship Finals are the fastest heat in the finals and contains the top swimmers from the preliminaries. The Consolation Finals are the next fastest group from the prelims. Timed Finals are when only heats are swam and the times collected from them determine the placing.

Finals were going to be the death of him.  
Rei was a smart guy. He studied hard and got excellent grades. He was confident that his final exams would once again prove he was at the top of their class for a reason.  
The problem was that Nagisa was cramming. The swim team was taking a break for the damn tests and so Nagisa spent all of his free time studying. Rei wished that he could help but feared he would only distract him further. He was caught between wanting to be helpful and wanting to be around Nagisa.

"I brought you sushi and green tea. They're supposed to be good for your brain."  
Nagisa blinked in surprise for a few moments before he pulled Rei into his house. He'd only been there a couple times but it was enough that he knew something was wrong. The house that was usually as noisy and bustling with energy as its youngest occupant was entirely too quiet.  
"Where is everyone?"  
"Letting me study." Nagisa replied. Rei assumed that meant he didn't know. "Thank you for the meal!"  
"I'll put the tea on."  
"I've already had eight cups of it since I got home." He said covering a yawn.  
Rei almost dropped his bag on the kitchen floor. He wondered why he was even surprised, it wasn't like Nagisa ever did anything in moderation.  
"How's your studying coming along?"  
Nagisa made a face and finished the roll of sushi in silence. Rei waited patiently. He had planned to give Nagisa a "good luck" kiss and head home but as usual, his plans were cast aside. One minute he was wishing his boyfriend luck and giving him a quick peck and the next, they were pressed together in the bed upstairs.  
"So tired." Nagisa mumbled into Rei's collarbone.  
Rei rubbed his back and listened to his breath as he feel asleep. He would later record every detail to paper. It would read like a scientist's observation journal: _the Wild Hazuki's eyelashes flutter before rest. His heart rate is roughly - fifty beats a minute based on a fifteen second analyses. He doesn't wake when I stroke his hair._  
Rei let his boyfriend rest. It was good for the brain, after all.

 

 **Flags**  
Noun. A string of flags suspended over the pool that let a swimmer know they're close to the wall. Or at least, I believe that's the reason behind them. No one actually explained it to me. When I asked Nagisa he merely said that they are essential to the team. I must conclude that they are of upmost importance and leave it at that.

"Nagisa, I believe there is an easier way to get those down." Rei said dryly, "for example, the tool designed to hang and remove the flags."  
"This is more fun." The blond argued as he attempted to climb the pole for the fifth time that afternoon.  
"You're going to fall and crack your head open." Rei worried.  
At the halfway point, Nagisa suddenly began sliding. He landed on his butt and giggled despite how easily he could have bruised his tailbone.  
"Allow me." Rei was much more competent at climbing poles. Making it to the top of a post had been a sort of rite of passage for first years on the track team. This pole was thinner but Rei easily calculated the difference.  
He made it up in no time and unhooked the string of flags. He let it flutter down to Nagisa who was staring in awe.  
"Rei-chan, that's amazing!"  
"Not really." He replied, slipping down. "Once you know how to do it, it's actually very simple."  
"Can you do any tricks?" Nagisa asked with a wink, giving Rei pause.  
"Let's find out."

 

 **Freestyle (stroke)**  
Verb. The fourth stroke of a relay. Haru only swims free because he's apparently rubbish at everything except the crawl stroke, which falls under the domain of Freestyle.  
I often think of it as making things up as you go but that isn't truly accurate. That was more Nagisa's General behavior than a swimming stroke. 

"You need to keep a spare swimsuit here, Nagisa." Makoto advised as Haru retrieved one of his from his locker.  
"I know, I just always forget to bring an extra and when I do remember, I can't find them."  
"Your sisters sure are cruel." Rei sighed, "you should at least hide your suits where they won't find them."

"Rei-Chan!" Nagisa called, knocking rapidly.  
"What's wrong?" He asked, rushing to answer the door. As soon as it was open, it was like an avalanche of swim suits.  
"I bought everything I could carry!" The blond said, shoving more clothing in and peering around as if he were afraid they were being watched. He slammed the door shut. "You gotta help me, Rei-Chan! My sisters will be home any minute now and this is the only place they won't look for my stuff!"  
"Okay, okay, calm down." He replied, picking up a pile only to realize it was underwear. He dropped them immediately.  
"Nagisa, why did you bring-"  
"They switch those out with girls' clothes too." He pouted. Nagisa never ceased to surprise him. Rei helped him hide his stuff under his bed, feeling like some kind of pervert who stashed panties, and didn't question him further. With Nagisa it was best to just go with the flow.

 

 **Goggles**  
Noun. Eye protection, can have custom prescription lenses.  
I've always had bad eye sight. When I was young, I didn't realize it. I thought pictures of stars were zoomed in enough that you could make them out. I thought nobody could see the Sakura blossoms until they fell.  
One day, a teacher asked me to read from the board and, even though I was in the front row, I couldn't do it. Other kids could but I couldn't. When my mother took me to get glasses, I thought being able to read letters from afar was impressive. When my glasses finally came in, I was awestruck.  
Before my glasses the world was very dull. Unfortunately, they haven't stopped me from being blindsided by Nagisa.

"If you're going to sneak in, let me know in advance." Rei complained as he pulled Nagisa trough his window.  
"That would ruin the fun!" Nagisa argued, pulling a leaf out of his hair. "Besides, I sent you a text."  
Rei snorted, "only after you found out my window was locked."  
"It was supposed to be a surprise." He laughed, tossing a duffle bag onto Rei's bed.  
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to move in?"  
"Can I?" He asked immediately, eyes gleaming.  
"You might as well, you've already left half your wardrobe here." Rei teased, moving the bag so they could sit down. "Besides, you spent enough time here that my mom's probably going to start collecting rent."  
Nagisa plopped down beside him and stretched out. "Do you think she knows?"  
"She's not an idiot." Rei retorted.  
"Yeah but it's not like we're that obvious! Besides, she isn't here a lot and probably wouldn't expect-"  
"She knows." Rei interrupted, bending over to reach under his bed. He retrieved the box easily and dropped it onto Nagisa's stomach. "She gave me these and taught me how to put one on using a cucumber." Rei managed not to blush, despite the fact that it had been the most humiliating experience of his life.  
Nagisa laughed as he ripped one of the packets open. Before Rei could question him, he was blowing it up like a balloon.  
"Oi, don't waste them!" Rei complained. It wasn't like they were at that stage in their relationship but it wasn't like they'd expire in the meantime.  
Nagisa responded by bopping him on the head with it. 

 

 **Heat**  
Noun. Swimmers are divided into heats, or groups. Results are compiled from the times of each heat.

Rei actually enjoyed having Rin around. Now that he'd gotten over his quarter-life crisis (more like his one-sixth of a life crisis though it didn't sound as good), he was much easier to put up with. He gave Rei tips on swimming 'fly' and they both enjoyed running. They got along surprising well considering their past dispute.  
Easing him into their group had been easier than expected. Rin seemed to have snapped back into place, taking up the space he'd left behind. At first, Rei worried he would be pushed out but he soon discovered Rin's own fear of being replaced. They didn't talk about it but it was understood that they occupied the same space at once.  
The laws of physics were a little confusing on that front, though certain particles could occupy the same state in orbit so there was that.  
Having a group of five was actually nice because it meant they couldn't all pair off. The dynamics shifted and Rei felt closer to his upperclassmen. Nagisa was thrilled to have Rin back and much to the older boy's feigned displeasure, he took every opportunity imaginable to hug and touch. Nagisa was a tactile person which was somewhat bothersome to most but Rin didn't really seem to care though he pretended to be annoyed at first. Rei accidentally caught a glimpse at their messages one day when Nagisa left his phone at his house. He had to unlock it to answer Nagisa's call and as soon as he hung up, the chat popped up.  
"After the first time, it's not so bad. Feels a little weird but as long as you relax, it doesn't hurt."  
"I know. I've touched there before. Does it screw up your times?"  
"Not too much if you go slow and eventually you get used to it."  
"You been busy since you got home?"  
"It's the off season, try to enjoy it."  
Rei gulped and turned the phone off before he was tempted into scrolling up to read the rest of their conversation.  
"Please forgive me." Rei said when Nagisa showed up a minute later, panting and red in the face from sprinting. "Rin-Senpai's IMs popped up after our call ended. I didn't mean to invade your privacy and I promise, it will never happen again."  
Nagisa just laughed. "I was going to show you anyway."  
Rei blinked.  
"Rin had lots of advice for us." Nagisa explained. "How much did you read?"  
Rei managed to keep his face neutral as they scanned the chat together.

 

 **Individual Medley**  
Noun. An event in which a swimmer performs all four strokes. All of them must be swam the same distance. It's a series, a list almost. I'm good with sequences. If I were able to swim more than just fly... No, I should concentrate on one stroke.

"Rei, is that a checklist?" Nagisa asked with a giggle.  
"No." He lied, shoving the list into his pocket. It was obvious but the other played along.  
"Where are we going next?" He asked, smile lighting up his face.  
"Dinner. There are several places nearby."  
"Why don't we go back to your place and order in?" Nagisa tilted his head and leaned against his boyfriend's chest.  
"But we have a movie after dinner."  
"We'll skip it. Come on, let's go home."

 

 **Interval**  
Noun. An amount of time in which you are either swimming or resting during a practice. Or swimming and running, the island training is a great example of interval training.

"Nagisa, what's wrong? You're not even close to your normal times." Makoto asked, concern written in the lines of his face. He'd waited until they were all at lunch to address the problem instead of in practice.  
"I'm fine." Nagisa insisted for the third time that week. First it had been his family, wondering why he was gone all the time. Then it had been Rei, who knew why he wasn't swimming his best.  
"We've been going on runs together after school," Rei lied taking a swig of water. "His legs are probably sore."  
"Yeah." Nagisa said playing along. "It's hard to keep up with Rei-Chan!"  
"Don't overwork yourself." Their captain said firmly. "Even though our season is over, we still need to practice for next year."  
"Nagisa, you don't have join me after school if it's going to hurt." Rei reminded him.  
"I'll just be more careful." He promised, shooting Rei a smile. "We should stretch more."  
"I'm pretty sure that's the problem actually. Too much stretching, your muscles are getting overworked."  
Haru shot them a look as if he knew exactly what they were talking about. He could probably tell by how Nagisa swam or how they _felt in the water._ Maybe he had a water related superpower that told him things like, "Nagisa had two fingers up his butt last night so don't expect anything great from his lane."  
When Makoto left to go to the bathroom, Haru warned them not to do anything indecent in his pool. The locker rooms were fair game but not the water.  
If Haru knew, Makoto probably knew. They shared a brain, or something. It wouldn't surprise Rei if Makoto just pretended to believe the running thing although Haru had waited until he was gone to say anything.  
Nagisa's touch pulled him back into reality. The blond smiled and he couldn't bother himself to feel embarrassed about who knew and who didn't. Nagisa made him happy and maybe that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this wasn't too disappointing and/or OOC. Rin is my baby but I'm not at all confident writing him... Especially without ships.


	3. J-R

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took forever! I just started school and my phone deleted all of my Works in Progress.

**Jump**  
Noun. This is what they call it when the 2nd, 3rd or 4th member of a team dives before the previous swimmer touches. Basically a false start, except it's not at the beginning.

"If you call it a false start again, I am not going to let you stay here over break." Rei threatened.  
"It can't be a false start if it's not the first round." The blond teased.  
"Nagisa, if you mention this in front of the others again I am going to burn your swimsuits."  
"What? All I said was that you had a tendency to _jump_ they didn't know what I meant!"  
"Kou told me to practice more."  
"See? If Gou didn't notice-"  
"She was not talking about practicing my exchanges!"  
Nagisa had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Unamused, Rei rolled over to hug his pillow and ignored his boyfriend until he spooned up behind him.  
He wouldn't admit it but he looked forward to when they could go to sleep cuddled together every night.

 

**Kick Board**  
Noun. A floatation device used by swimmers to practice. I relied on the kick board pretty heavily at the beginning but at some point, it just sort of became a fixture on my desk. A decoration that reminded me of all the good times. 

"Hey, you still have this?" Nagisa asked, rushing down the stairs holding the dusty, old kick board.  
"Doesn't that belong to the school?" Makoto asked, raising one of his eyebrows.  
"Sorry, I kind of forgot about it." Rei admitted, his ears turning pink. The last thing he needed was his senpai thinking he was a thief.  
Makoto shrugged. "It's not like anyone else used it."  
"I forgot we even had a board."   
"We should sign and keep it as a memento!" Nagisa said excitedly.  
"Nagisa, that's stealing!" Makoto protested.  
"Coach bought it." Haru said, expression flat. "He gave it to us, not the school."  
"Exactly!" Nagisa said with a wink. "Let's keep it at Rei's for now and when you guys go to college, we can pass it around."  
"I like the idea of us all sharing it." Rei said, giving them all a hopeful smile.  
"Haru?" Nagisa asked before Makoto could argue that it should be returned to the school.  
The resident dolphin was already writing. He looked up at Makoto who sighed and mumbled, "alright."  
Haru ended up only drawing Iwatobi-chan in the middle. Makoto wrote his name for him at the very top and choose to put his own name, "captain" writing in smaller characters just before it at Nagisa's urging, along the side.  
Nagisa handed it over without signing, silently reminding Rei that he was every bit as important to their team as the members of the original relay group. Their names ended up suspiciously close to one another. Nagisa added a couple hearts around his name, edging into what was Rei's space.  
"We should get Kou and Miss Amakata to sigh it too!" Makoto told them as they all examined their work. "They probably won't want to share it but they're still part of the swim club."  
They agreed that Rei would bring it to school after break. He was the first one entrusted with the Iwatobi kick board, before even their captain or star swimmer. They really did think of him as a friend.

 

**Lane**  
Noun. The area in which a single swimmer is assigned to swim. The lane lines are floating markers strung together that connect the starting and turning end. These separate lanes and reduce waves from one swimmer disturbing another. Despite these, Haru has some strange superpower where he can apparently feel everyone in the pool. I'm working on a theory that he's a mutant that has evolved to communicate through water vibrations. It would explain his stoic nature and lack of verbals. Nagisa thinks I've been reading too many comic books.

"Stay in your lane."  
The new member of the Samezuka team was only slightly shorter than Makoto but he still managed to loom over everyone. Even before learning his name, Rei knew he was going to be trouble.   
His very aura was threateningly dark. Nitori, the friendly boy who'd once leant him a swim suit, cringed in his presence. Rei had a feeling this was going to be a difficult season.

"Stay in your lane."  
He meant more than just swimming.

 

**Lap**  
Noun. A lap is a length of the course although it may also mean 2 lengths, as in swimming the length and then back. It's kind of confusing.

"I want two laps of each stroke." Rin shouted at him from the sidelines. He'd been oddly welcoming of Rei and accepted his request to teach him strokes other than butterfly. It took weeks of practice but he was finally at the point where he could do all four without sinking to the bottom of the pool.  
Rin had made a big deal of teaching him the Breaststroke because _"being able to swim with the person whose special to you is one thing but being able to swim the same stroke can connect you to that person."_  
"Nagisa told you?" Rei had asked.  
"No one needed to tell me. Only an idiot could miss it."  
Once he finished his laps, Rin have him a slap on the back.  
"It's up to you now." He told him, flashing a shark toothed grin. "Go knock their socks off!"  
Rin wasn't such a bad guy after all.  
"Remember all that stuff you told me about swimming the same stroke as the person you cared most about? Is that why you're so good at both Butterfly and Free?" Rei fished.  
"No," Rin laughed, "I swim both because I'm the best and it wouldn't be fair if I competed in every stroke."  
By now Rei knew him well enough to know when he was lying but he let it go.   
_Only an idiot could miss it._

 

**Leg**  
Noun. One stroke of a relay. For example I swim the Butterfly leg and Haru does the Freestyle leg.

Nagisa was bent over in front of him, giving Rei a very distracting view of just how well the fabric of his suit stretched over his body like a second skin. Rei didn't usually think about that sort of thing during practice but he'd left a handprint on Nagisa's waist that was just begging for his attention.  
Makoto's hand hit the wall and Nagisa shot into water like bullet. Their captain climbed out of the pool and gave him a pointed look. With Nagisa gone, there was no one to intervene.  
"I'm happy for you both but I don't want your relationship to affect our team." He said quietly. "We have a shot at Regionals again, let's not blow it."  
Haru who normally seemed disinterested came to stand by his side. He put a hand on Rei's shoulder which almost made him flinch. Haru rarely initiated contact.  
"Refrain until the end of the season. Let nothing come between you and the water."  
Soon enough, Nagisa was tagging the wall and Rei swam his leg while their senpais presumably gave Nagisa the same talk. When he returned, the team went back to business as usual. Which on the Iwatobi team meant watching in awe as Haru raced to the opposite end of the pool and back.

 

**Natatorium**  
Noun. A building designed for swimming events. This is the proper name for a swim club or indoor pool.

"They told us to refrain," Rei objected as Nagisa crowded him into a shower after a long practice. Coach Sasabe had given them free reign of his swim club on weekends but Rei was pretty sure he hadn't given them a key so they could make out in his locker rooms. Or hide from Nagisa's parents. As it turned out, four teenage boys weren't the most responsible but at least they weren't technically breaking in.  
"It's been so long," Nagisa said in a low voice as he squeezed the life out of his boyfriend.  
"It's been a week." Rei corrected, making Nagisa giggle.  
"Just hold me?"  
It wasn't like they had the energy for much else. Regionals were right around the corner.

 

**Non-Comforming Time**  
Noun. A submitted long course time for a short course meet, or vice versa. 

"I wish we had popcorn," Rin laughed as they all settled in around the tv. He'd come home for a weekend and Gou invited everyone to come "study" race footage.  
"It isn't healthy," Gou snapped.  
"Nothing good is healthy!" Nagisa teased.  
She sighed, "everyone ready? This race is pretty intense!"  
They all nodded eagerly as she pressed the play button.  
The Iwatobi students recognized the scene in front of them immediately. It was the club relay race from the beginning of the year. Rin howled with laughter at them, especially at Haru whose sprint was "very elegant for a slug."  
"You should be as fast on land as you are in the water," he scolded them afterwards. "What good are those muscles if you don't know how to use them?"  
Eventually he and Haru got competitive and everyone ended up racing each other. They never did watch any real footage but it was still an eventful evening.

 

**Olympic Trails**  
Noun. A long meet held the year of the Olympics that decides who will be joining the national team. Naturally the qualifying times are beyond anything I could hope for.

Sousuke probably already his invitation to the Olympic Trails. He had a scholarship and team already decided, it would figure that he'd already been chosen for Japan's elite team.  
There was something wrong though. Rei couldn't put his finger on it but he knew there was something.  
Haru and Rin were both scouted. Rei and Nagisa had been thrilled to find out but Haru didn't seem happy at all with the prospects of professional swimming.

 

**Practice**  
Noun. The scheduled time in which a team works out and/or prepares for meets.

Rei knew he wasn't going to beat Sousuke by himself. He understood that fact however he continued practicing Butterfly with rigor. He may not be as fast as the brooding hunk from Samezuka but together, in the relay, Iwatobi could beat them.  
Practice was the only place they saw the real Haru anymore.

When Haru lost his drive, the whole team suffered. He was their inspiration, they needed him as much as he needed water.

 

**Qualifying Times**  
Noun. Times required to enter certain meets.  
Iwatobi and Samezuka both qualified for Regionals and we were prepared to meet them head on until Haru broke down. It was frightening but he returned to us. Haru-senpai even snapped at Rin.  
I'd assumed Sousuke qualified to become an Olympian but we were all mistaken. As it turned out, he had overworked his shoulder. Naturally, he planned to go all out in his final race.  
I suddenly understood why Rin hadn't felt satisfied last year. Beating someone who wasn't at their peak felt almost meaningless however it meant we were going to Nationals. Rin would be there too.

There was one stage left for them. Rei hoped that Haru caught sight of his future.

 

**Ready Room**  
Noun. A room beside the pool where swimmers can wait for their event.  
I thought it was too late for us but Haru promised we'd always be able to swim together. This wasn't the end.

While Haru was soul searching across the ocean, the team continued to work hard. Rei could hardly believe they were going to nationals but there they were.  
Makoto was more distant than usual but he was optimistic.  
When Haru did finally return, it was with a purpose.

 

**Relays**  
Noun. An event in which four swimmers participate. There are two types of relay: the medley and the freestyle. In a Medley Relay, each swimmer swims a different stroke however in a Freestyle Relay, they all swim free.   
Swimming is usually an independent sport which makes the relay a difficult event. We have to know each other better than ourselves.  
I saw it when we swam. The beautiful sight that brought us all together. The fact that we didn't place meant nothing in the quake of that vision.

They hung their picture in the swim club. It was one of the proudest moments in Rei's life.


End file.
